Snow and rain cause Christmas travel disruption – BBC News

Multiple weather warnings have been issued for the north and west of Scotland, disrupting travel ahead of Christmas.

Snow fell overnight into Saturday morning in the north of the country including in Aberdeen and Inverness.

A Met office yellow weather warning for rain was in place for much of western Scotland until 23:45 on Saturday.

An additional warning for snow and ice in the north expired at 15:00.

The weather made for difficult travelling conditions as people made their way home for Christmas – the AA estimated that 16.4 million car journeys would take place in the UK on Saturday.

The snow gates between Berriedale and Helmsdale near Caithness had to be closed earlier, causing congestion on the A9 but have since reopened.

Posts on social media said vehicles were stuck near Braemore junction, and there were reports of an accident near Golspie.

There was also a road closure further south on the A9, near Tomich due to flooding.

Meanwhile, in Argyll and Bute, the A83 Rest and Be Thankful closed on Saturday afternoon due to increased “hillside saturation levels”.

The Old Military Road diversion via Glen Croe will operate under convoy through the night on Saturday.

Speed restrictions have been put in place on the railways, causing delays and cancellations on services to Inverness, Aberdeen and Oban.

Services between Inverness and Beauly were cancelled until 13:00 due to a landslip.

CalMac sailings to Uist, Colonsay, Coll and Tiree have been cancelled for the remainder of Saturday due to the windy conditions.

Scottish League One side Cove Rangers appealed for volunteers to help clear snow from their pitch ahead of a match with Edinburgh City.

The game was able to go ahead with a delayed kick-off time of 15:30.

The Met office has also issued weather warnings for wind on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Gusts of 50mph are expected widely while areas such as Lewis, Orkney, Sutherland and Caithness could see gusts reaching 70mph.

Meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “People should make sure to leave more time, especially in exposed areas, it could affect rail networks and ferries.

“People travelling on roads should take care and stay away from high-sided vehicles, and for people who are at home and are going for walks, stay away from coasts.”